Archive for the ‘Ford Mustang II’ tag

We’re deep in the heart of winter in Vermont, which, this year anyway, means snow accumulations measured in feet and daytime high temperatures that often struggle to break into the double digits. For those of us with unheated garages, cabin fever has most definitely set in, meaning it’s prime time to dream about warmer weather and summer projects.

This crop of $5,000 challenge candidates features a little something for everyone, from compact British cars to dump-bed trucks. There’s even a blank-canvas Mustang in the mix, and a Buick Riviera with a remarkably intact interior that needs saving. The days are getting longer, and winter won’t last forever, so which of these five projects would you most like to welcome into your own (soon-to-be-warm-enough-to-work-in) garage?

The Mustang II was an important car for Ford, as it kept the Mustang line alive and contributed significantly to the automaker’s bottom line. It’s also among the least-loved of Mustang models, thanks to its anemic base four-cylinder engine, built with an eye on fuel economy over performance.

Which makes this 1978 Ford Mustang II something of a blank canvas. The years have not been particularly kind to the car, and while many mechanical issues have been addressed, the interior and exterior need serious attention. No one will think less of a builder who drops in a more potent engine, and the list of Ford Motor Company options is long indeed. We’d opt for a forced-induction four to keep weight down, update the interior and use the exterior to practice our filler and paint skills. The most frugal builders could easily end up with a pleasant driver for under $5,000, based on this example’s $1,995 asking price.

“Well preserved” isn’t a phrase we often associate with farm trucks pushing the seven-decade mark, but this 1947 GMC two-ton dump bed is certainly an exception to the rule. Mechanically speaking, the seller’s description sounds as if only the braking system needs to be rebuilt, as the engine and dump bed are both functional. The truck wears its original green and black livery, leaving its next (and second) owner with a choice: preserve the truck as is, or restore it for use as something like a vintage car hauler. The asking price? $4,500.

For those with limited mechanical, upholstery or paint skills, the old car hobby can be a bit daunting. A car needing all of the above can be a bit much for a first-timer to take on, which makes this Chrysler (“big as a whale,” in the words of the B-52s) particularly appealing for those seeking a first old car. The description is a bit brief, but based on the pictures, the plus-size sedan needs just upholstery repair to make it a respectable weekend driver, if not a regional show winner. That leaves both time and money to learn the finer points of spinning wrenches on a 440-cu.in. V-8. The asking price? $4,950.

From 1963 into the early 1970s, Buick’s Riviera was among the most stylish of “personal luxury cars” produced by domestic automakers. This restoration candidate 1966 model comes from the first year of the second generation, which proved to be a sales success for Buick. Buyers snapped up over 45,000 “new” Rivieras that year, and while not an uncommon car, the early second generation models do stand out from the crowd. This example needs paint, but its interior appears to be surprisingly well-preserved. It’s not clear what other “minor repairs” the seller is referring to, but at an asking price of $4,500, someone needs to save this Riviera for future generations to enjoy.

Hillman reportedly put eight years of engineering effort into the 1957 version of its Minx, and the new model was designed with an emphasis on the American market. Though still small, the car could now seat five adults, four comfortably. Power still came from a 1,390-cc four cylinder, but output was raised from 47 horsepower in 1956 to 51 horsepower in 1957, thanks to a bump in compression from 7.0:1 to 8.0:1. This example is said to be complete, and is sold with manuals and some spare parts. It was running as recently as 2014, meaning that the car’s next owner can likely enjoy the import sedan as he chips away at its restoration. The asking price? $1,650.

If you have a sub-$5,000 vehicle you’re looking to sell, Hemmings is now offering a discounted ad package that includes a month of print advertising and 90 days of online advertising at a significantly reduced rate. You’ll find complete details on the special offer here.

Ford’s 1962 Mustang I concept, on display at The Henry Ford. Photo by Michael Barera.

Every year, The Henry Ford presents its Motor Muster, an annual celebration that honors cars, trucks (and even bicycles) built between 1933 and 1976. This year, in honor of its 50th birthday, The Henry Ford will be paying homage to the Ford Mustang by showing the 1962 Mustang I concept, the 1963 Mustang II concept and the Mustang bearing serial number 100001.

Hoping to portray itself as a young and desirable brand, in late 1961 Ford launched a marketing effort it called “Total Performance,” fueled in part by the paranoia over Chevrolet’s innovative Corvair. Ford styling head Gene Bordinat was tasked with developing a concept car that personified this Total Performance image, which would be a daunting task even with unlimited resources. Bordinat didn’t have unlimited resources, so he did the best he could with what was at hand, and with a team of designers that included John Najjar, Jim Sipple and Phil Clark, created a two-seat roadster with an aerodynamic body built upon a reversed Ford Taunus platform in roughly 100 days.

The Mustang Experimental Sports Car (which would later become known as the Mustang I) debuted at the 1962 U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. The venue was significant for Ford, as it had received word that Chevrolet would debut the 1963 Corvair at the race, and Ford didn’t want to be left out. The Corvair made an appearance, but only in static form; the Mustang I, on the other hand, was driven around the circuit by Dan Gurney to the delight of the crowd. Later, on the show circuit, the Mustang I generated an enormous response from consumers, the bulk of whom wrote to Ford saying, “build this.”

That presented a problem for Ford, as a second project was well under way at the automaker to build a four-seat sports car, coincidentally also named the Mustang. If the public loved the Mustang I roadster with its wedge-shaped front end and two-seat impracticality, would they also warm to a car that used the same name but carried over very few design elements?

The 1963 Mustang II concept. Photo courtesy Ford Motor Company.

Seeking proof that the production Mustang was still headed down the right path, Ford commissioned the construction of the 1963 Mustang II concept (not to be confused with the production Mustang II, which debuted in 1974), meant to temper the public’s expectations of what the actual Mustang would be like when it hit dealerships as a 1965 model. Like the production car, the Mustang II concept carried four seats, dual three-bar taillamps and faux side scoops. Like the Mustang I concept, it featured a white with blue stripe livery and used a front end that seemed to split the difference between the Mustang I and the production Mustang (and, coincidentally, managed to look somewhat like a Thunderbird in 3/4-scale). Though often shown in topless form, the Mustang II featured a removable roof, foreshadowing the fact that the upcoming production Mustang would be available in both convertible and coupe body styles.

Built from a pre-production Mustang, the Mustang II’s use of design elements seen on both cars served as a bridge between the intentionally impractical Mustang I and the production-based Mustang. Like the first concept, the Mustang II proved to be a hit at its introduction, timed for the 1963 U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, and public reaction to the car gave Ford the confidence that its production Mustang would indeed be a hit when it reached dealer showrooms.

Even the Mustang carrying serial number 100001, now owned by The Henry Ford (along with the Mustang I concept) has an interesting story to tell. Never meant for sale, serial number 100001 was delivered to a St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, Ford dealership for display purposes only. There, it caught the eye of Captain Stanley Tucker, an airline pilot for Eastern Provincial Airlines. Though the dealership advised Tucker the car was not for sale, he was not dissuaded. Facing the loss of a sale, the dealership eventually agreed to sell the car to the impatient customer. This didn’t sit well with Ford, which wasted little time in contacting Tucker to strike a deal for his car. After nearly two years of negotiations, the parties agreed to terms: Tucker would turn over the keys to serial number 100001 in exchange for the millionth Mustang built.

Visitors to The Henry Ford can see the Mustang I concept and serial number 100001, but the Mustang II concept is part of the Detroit Historical Society’s collection. This year’s The Henry Ford Motor Muster will give Mustang fans their only chance to see the Mustang I concept, Mustang II concept and the production Mustang bearing serial number 100001 together at a single venue in 2014, which may be reason enough to attend the event.

The Henry Ford Motor Muster is scheduled for June 14-15 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. For additional details, visit TheHenryFord.org.

The Ford Mustang II is hardly the most sought-after version of the marque (particularly among muscle car fans), but there can be no denying its significance to Mustang history. In 1973, the year before the Mustang II’s introduction, Ford sold a mere 134,867 Mustangs; one year later, Ford sold 177,671 copies of the Mustang II in the two-door coupe version alone. In that light, this 1974 Mustang II for sale on Hemmings.com is one of the cars that helped preserve the Mustang brand by transitioning it from fuel-gulping muscle car to thrifty personal luxury commuter. This pale yellow example is equipped with the economical 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, mated to the commuter-friendly automatic transmission. In the past four decades, it’s seen just 143,374 miles roll beneath its wheels, meaning that, with proper care, it’s still got plenty of life to give its next owner. From the seller’s description:

Eye catcher and all original!! Exterior in great shape, Interior good, drivers seat some tears. Trans rebuild, carb rebuild ,break system rebuild repainted to original color .Engine is clean, Runs good, I’ve taken it to local car shows and get many compliments and I drive it around town about once a month doing errands..It is kept in the garage all the time.

Those fears of the Detroit Institute of ArtsDetroit Historical Museum being forced to sell off its significant car collection appear to have been for naught: When Detroit officials announced late last week the city’s plan to avoid bankruptcy, it left the city’s assets – including such cars as the 1963 Ford Mustang II (above) and one of the remaining Chrysler Turbine cars – off the bargaining table.

Facing $17 billion in debt, the city of Detroit’s finances have been placed under the control of Kevyn Orr, who announced a plan to cut the city’s debt load after a closed-door meeting with unions, banks, and other city creditors last Friday. Though considered an opening salvo in what is expected to be a long drawn-out battle with creditors, as the Detroit News reported, the plan does not include the sale of city assets – including the Detroit Institute of Arts and the city-owned Detroit Historical Museum – to satisfy that debt.

Over the last year, many observers had worried that the DIA DHM’s car collection – which includes the aforementioned Ford Mustang II show car and Chrysler Turbine car along with a Stout Scarab, the Ford Cougar II concept car, a pair of Packard Pan American show cars, Henry Leland’s personal 1905 Cadillac, and John and Horace Dodge’s personal 1919 Dodge Brothers cars – faced dissolution. Much, if not all, of the collection had been warehoused in plastic bubbles away from public viewing for years, and Orr himself last month warned that the DIA’s collection city’s assets could be at risk.

Orr’s warning caught the attention of a number of Michigan public officials, including State Senator Randy Richardville, who introduced a bill that would prevent Detroit from selling publicly owned art. Then last week, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette issued an official opinion stating that Orr could not sell off the DIA collection to pay off that debt.

“It is my opinion, therefore, that the art collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts is held by the City of Detroit in charitable trust for the people of Michigan, and no piece in the collection may thus be sold, conveyed, or transferred to satisfy City debts or obligations,” Schuette wrote.

Photo courtesy Detroit Institute of Arts.

Along with the DHM’s collection of about 75 cars, the city-owned Detroit Institute of Arts also includes automotive-related artwork among its collection of more than 60,000 items, including Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry,” a controversial 27-panel mural that depicted workers assembling Ford V-8s at the Rogue River Rouge factory.

Orr noted last week that even with the debt restructuring plan, the city still faces a 50 percent chance of going into Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which means that the city’s assets are not yet entirely safe from sale.

Of course, for those collectors out there who long to own a Chrysler Turbine car, this is the second piece of disheartening news in as many weeks: The Walter P. Chrysler Museum, which owns two of the nine remaining Turbine cars, recently announced that its collection will remain intact even though the facility has closed to the public.

UPDATE: The collection belongs to the Detroit Historical Museum, not the Detroit Institute of Arts, as reported in an earlier version of this story. We apologize for the confusion.

Sure, it’s no King Cobra, or even a V-8, but this 1978 Ford Mustang II for sale on Hemmings.com is a remarkably preserved original with less than 30 82 miles on the odometer. Most cars top that on the way home from the dealer’s lot. What fun would it be to take this to a Survivor (TM) show and show up all the Corvettes? From the seller’s description:

This amazing time capsule Mustang II hatchback coupe has only 82 original miles. It comes with the original owner’s manual and other factory documents including the build sheet, visor starting instructions and a full Marti Report. It also comes with the original sales invoice from Wattick Ford Sales in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, original title and receipt for the original purchase price of $4,205. It was sold to the next owner in 1978 with only 21 miles as shown on the odometer statement. This is a very rare find and probably the lowest mileage 1978 in existence. The engine is the 2.3 liter 140ci with the C-3 automatic transmission. It is all original including the tires, and the only item replaced was the battery. It is bright red with a white vinyl interior. The features and options include power steering, power front disc brakes, AM radio, remote drivers mirror, bucket seats and console. The interior is like new and it looks like it did the day it rolled off the showroom floor.

Price: $25,900 Location: Zebulon, North Carolina
Status: No Longer Available

Detroit is broke. Not the auto industry – that’s coming back quite strong, even if employing a fraction of the workers it did just a few decades ago. It’s the city itself that is broke. And while GM and Chrysler got a reprieve from the gallows by a strong federal push for their “precision” bankruptcies in 2009 that erased their debts, there is virtually no chance of that happening for Detroit.

The city is in danger of being taken over by the Michigan state government as part of the controversial new emergency manager’s law that allows the governor to appoint a non-elected manager to oversee failed cities and school districts. Already, Detroit’s public school system and the cities of Pontiac and Flint are under emergency management.

As recently pointed out by Ronnie Schreiber at Cars In Depth, that emergency manager’s law gives the appointed manager the ability to sell or privatize assets that could be used to pay off municipal debts. Among the most appealing of Detroit’s assets is the Detroit Institute of Arts, a world-class art museum with a value potentially over a billion dollars. DIA’s 60,000-plus-item collection includes several renaissance works by the old masters, impressionists and even iconic works by the likes of pop artist Andy Warhol.

Of greater interest to automotive enthusiasts, it also includes a number of significant cars, including Henry Leland’s personal 1905 Cadillac, John and Horace Dodge’s personal 1919 Dodge Brothers cars, the Detroit Electrics owned by Clara Ford (wife of Henry Ford) and Helen Newberry Joy (wife of Packard chief Henry Joy), a Stout Scarab, a Chrysler Turbine car, a pair of Packard Pan American show cars, the Ford Cougar II concept car, and the 1963 Ford Mustang II show car, each one a headline grabber should it ever come up for sale.

It was the very success of the auto industry that saw Detroit’s rise and it was the patronization of the arts by the captains of that industry many years ago that allowed the museum to build its significant collection. The DIA exists as a testament to the very success of the Motor City during its heyday. Unlike most art museums that exist as wholly separate, non-profit cultural institutions, the DIA is owned outright by the city, and any emergency manager would ostensibly be in charge of it disposition.

Although this is largely conjecture right now, and Deputy Mayor Kirk Lewis has been quoted as saying the sale of the art is “not a part of the plan right now,” the art community is understandably upset. Should there be an attempt to sell the DIA’s holdings, the public uproar and inevitable lawsuits would almost certainly drag on for years and years, rendering any such decision useless in all practicality for settling any immediate debts.

It’s pretty easy to identify what ails the city of Detroit, but selling off some of its most treasured assets would be a true shame.

The DIA strongly believes that the museum and the City hold the museum’s art collection in trust for the public. The DIA manages and cares for that collection according to exacting standards required by the public trust, our profession and the Operating Agreement with the City. According to those standards, the City cannot sell art to generate funds for any purpose other than to enhance the collection. We remain confident that the City and the emergency financial manager will continue to support the museum in its compliance with those standards, and together we will continue to preserve and protect the cultural heritage of Detroit.

The Mustang II is long overdue for proper recognition from the collector-car community. After all, thanks to the street rodding community poaching their front suspensions, they’re much less common on the streets than any first-generation Mustang; their drivetrains are dead simple; and they came in full-on smokin’ Seventies configurations such as this low-mileage 1977 Ford Mustang Cobra II for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description:

I’d start off today’s HFOD with a plea for the end of the Mustang II’s time as an automotive punchline, but as an AMC nut, I should know better – some things just don’t change, including many people’s perception of the Mustang II as nothing more than a dolled up Pinto. Which, to tell the truth, is just fine for the people who really do appreciate cars like this 1977 Ford Mustang II – they don’t have to spend a fortune to buy the cars they like with so many fewer people clamoring for them. From the seller’s description:

1977 Mustang II Fastback with 302 V8 engine. Cobra styled with aftermarket front and rear spoilers. Right now it sports a 1978 hood with hood scoop, but it also comes with the original 1977 hood in good shape, with original paint. Interior is in very good shape, except that the dash has a couple of cracks in it. Underside is in good shape. We have not driven it in winter in the three years we have owned it.

Way back in the beginning of the year, my wife and I took a little road trip to visit family living in Mt. Airy, Maryland. We’ve been making the trip that far south for nine years now, which seems like an unimportant fact – except that it is. You see, during this trip in early spring, my brother-in-law took us to the waterfront in Baltimore for a little sightseeing and to check out “Bodies…The Exhibition” that was at the Maryland Science Center. If you have the opportunity, see it. On the way back to Mt. Airy, just about one mile from the town’s highway exit, we passed a sizable junkyard on the hillside, visible through the trees. Yup – attention deficit disorder engaged, and that’s when my brother-in-law (who, incidentally knows about my passion for anything automotive) tells me that the junkyard I began to drool over was called Crazy Ray’s (they actually have five locations in Maryland), and it was a two-minute ride from his house. Sadly, there was not enough time to stop and scope out the scene – until I returned to Maryland to start my summer vacation in late June.

With camera in hand, we forked over the $1 entry fee, signed the “will not sue if I de-limb myself” clause, and took a stroll through the yard in hopes of finding gold for my 1952 Buick Roadmaster, or my wife’s 1972 Buick Skylark. No luck, as most of the yard was full of late model vehicles rather than more vintage metal. But I did find a few with plenty of good parts ready for pickin’.